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Bullying - everyone seems to be talking and worrying about it. But, despite the wealth of information about bullying - all the articles, talk shows, speakers, books and even documentaries, how to effectively address and eradicate it remains a challenge.

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We in Catholic education may find ourselves even more frustrated because we think that our Gospel-valued environment should exclude such behavior. We sometimes despair thinking the Gospel ideal has failed to take root, that we are not getting our message across even though we are teaching Religion five days a week. We provide opportunities for the reception of the sacraments and still we witness and hear of students not treating others with respect and reverence.

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Understanding the complex issues around the roots of bullying as well as recognizing the normal healthy stages of social development is the beginning to solving the bullying issue in our schools. Teaching students at a young age how to build healthy relationships is a crucial life lesson. "At the end of the day, it is friendship that will nourish the soul of a child." Best Friends, Worse Enemies Understanding the Social Lives of Children, Thompson and O'Neill. These authors state that it is not the length of the friendship that counts, rather, it is the experience of the qualities of friendship that are crucial: trust, choice, respect, reciprocity and the solving of conflicts.

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The authors offer two powerful aspects that we need to consider:

While we need to address some childhood behaviors, they may well be normal parts of the social development process. We cannot ignore hurtful behavior but we need to do so with understanding of the development of the child and as a guide who has experienced some of these situations.
No one curriculum, program, talk or speaker supplies the best answer. However, we need to be proactive before major problems surface and therefore ease the fears of the bullied, the bullies and we who are trying to understand, prevent and heal.

Parents and any caring adult in the child's life should:

recognize the difference between popularity and friendship and support good friendships
be a good friendship model and teacher
provide a wide range of friendship and group opportunities for the child
don't try to be their friend but it is important that the child trusts you and knows that you will try to help them

Schools must produce good citizens of heaven and earth with leadership skills, empathy and responsibility.

Hot Topics

Bullying Bullying - everyone seems to be talking and worrying about it. But, despite the wealth of information about bullying - all the articles, talk shows, speakers, books and even documentaries, how to effectively address and eradicate it remains a challenge. We in Catholic education may find ourselves even more frustrated because we think that our Gospel-valued environment should exclude such behavior. We sometimes despair thinking the Gospel ideal has failed to take root, that we are not getting our message across even though we are teaching Religion five days a week. We provide opportunities for the reception of the sacraments and still we witness and hear of students not treating others with respect and reverence. Understanding the complex issues around the roots of bullying as well as recognizing the normal healthy stages of social development is the beginning to solving the bullying issue in our schools. Teaching students at a young age how to build healthy relationships is a crucial life lesson. "At the end of the day, it is friendship that will nourish the soul of a child." Best Friends, Worse Enemies Understanding the Social Lives of Children, Thompson and O'Neill. These authors state that it is not the length of the friendship that counts, rather, it is the experience of the qualities of friendship that are crucial: trust, choice, respect, reciprocity and the solving of conflicts. The authors offer two powerful aspects that we need to consider: While we need to address some childhood behaviors, they may well be normal parts of the social development process. We cannot ignore hurtful behavior but we need to do so with understanding of the development of the child and as a guide who has experienced some of these situations. No one curriculum, program, talk or speaker supplies the best answer. However, we need to be proactive before major problems surface and therefore ease the fears of the bullied, the bullies and we who are trying to understand, prevent and heal. Parents and any caring adult in the child's life should: recognize the difference between popularity and friendship and support good friendships be a good friendship model and teacher provide a wide range of friendship and group opportunities for the child don't try to be their friend but it is important that the child trusts you and knows that you will try to help them Schools must produce good citizens of heaven and earth with leadership skills, empathy and responsibility.